Dry-pipe valve.



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Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

MONROE SHIVELY, OF AKRON, OHIO.

DRY-PIFE VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of `Letters Patent No. 759,562, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed October 13, 1903. Serial No. 176,870. (No model.) l

To a/ZZ wil/0711, it may concern:

Beit known that I, MONROE SnivuLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio,

have invented a certain new and useful Im-v 'provement in Dry-Pipe Valves, of which the following is a complete specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in valves adapted to be used in automatic sprinkling systems for the protection ofthe interior of buildings and their contents from iire, and has especial relationto that class in `which the system of pipes that extends through traneous causes than those heretofore used for the purposes stated'and one in which the valve will be opened by the pressure'of water held in check by the valve upon a decrease of pressure in the pipe system.

Another object in this case is to provide as i simple a valve as is possible in which the numlber of parts. will be `reduced to a minimum andyet to provide one whose action will be positive upon "a decrease of pressure due to the opening of a sprinklerhead or otherwise.

It is a further object in this case to provide means whereby any unforeseen accumulation 'of water or liquid in thebody portion of the valve may readily escape, yet at all times to permit a free circulation of air within the body of the valve, together with suitable closing mechanism whose operation will auto-` matically close the drainage-opening in the body at the instant that air-pressure in the sprinkling system is decreased for any reason whatever, this being so timed as to be simultaneous with the opening of the water-inlet valve.

To the accomplishment of the aforesaid objects my invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

In the accompanying drawing, which represents a vertical central section of my improved valve, 1 is the body of the valve, which may be in one casting having at its lower end an VVopening 2, provided with iianges 3, by which it is attached to the water-main which is to operate this valve. This opening 2 is provided with a bushingli at its inner edge, upon which lits a valve 5, having projecting therefrom an integral arm 6, pivoted on a pin 7, sunk in the side of the body of the valve. On the left side in the figure is a hand-hole cover 8, held in place by bolts 9. Through the opening closed by this cover 8 access is readily had to the interior mechanism of the valve.

Immediately above the valve 5 is a comparatively large chamber 10, having extending across its central portion near the top a slotted bar 11. In the slotted portion of this bar 11 is pivoted a bell-crank 12 on a bolt 13. On one side of the lower leg of this bell-crank 12 is a cut-away portion 14, designed to receive the cross-bar 15, which forms one end of a link 1G, provided at its opposite end with a similar cross-bar 17. Both these cross-bars are inwardly tapering with rounded edges. This slotted link 16 is adapted to pass on both sides of the lower leg of the bell-crank 12 and also to inclose the upper end of a lever 18, whose general configuration consists of ytwo substantially perpendicularv portions 19 20, united by an inclined integral cross-bar`21. In the upper end of the perpendicular portion 19 of the lever 18 there is a rounded-out portionwhich is adapted to bear against the inner lrounded face of the cross-bar 17.

. The lower endof the portion 20 of the bar 18 istapered and rounded on the end with a curveof small radius and is adapted to rest in a cup-shaped recess on top of the valve 5. In the upper face of the inclined` portion 21 of the lever 18 is a cup-shaped recess into which enters the lower conical point of a vertical rod 9.2, the upper end of which is pivoted on a IOO bolt 23 between parallel ears on the lower end of a bolt 24, threaded to mesh in threads in an opening in the cross-bar 11. end of this bolt 24 is provided with a head 25, by the rotation of which the vertical position of the bolt in the cross-bar 11 is accurately determined. Access is had to the head of this bolt through an opening in the right side of the body of the valve, closed by a handhole cover 26, held in place by bolts 27. L

On the horizontal leg of the bell-crank 12 is a conical depression, in the central portion of which rests a pin 28, the upper end of which is pivoted on' a bolt 29, extending between ears 30 on the under side of a valve 31, which seats on a bushing 32 in a narrowed portion of the main body of the valve above the cross-bar 11. This valve 31 has project- .ing from its upper portion an integral arm 33, which pivots on a bolt 34 in a depression 35 in the main casing of the valve. Above this valve 31 is a chamber 36 of suiiicient size to permit the -perfectly free swinging upward of this valve, and above this pointthe cham- `ber is narrowed, and from this extends an outlet 37, provided with flanges 38, to which is bolted a cover 39 to represent the air-cham ber as closed against the escape of air. From this chamber 36 extends the pipe system,which is represented in this drawing by a pipe r40, on which is a sprinkler-head 41 and the end of which is closed by a plug 42. Of course inl actual practice this pipe 41 will extend throughout the building, containing ,unlimited numbers of sprinkler-heads; but for the purposes of illustrating the operation ,of this valve the pipe 40 and sprinkler-head41 will sufce. .Attached to the lower leg of the bellcrank -is a chain 43, which passes over a pulley 44 and then downward and has at its lower end a weight 45, the central portion of which is. narrow, having a conical head 46. In the lower part of the casing of the valve surrounding this narrow neck on the weight is an opening 47, in which the weight hangs. The upper portion of this opening 47 is conical with an inclination similar to the under conical face of the head 46, so that when the weight 45 is loweredy the conical portion of the head 46 will close the opening 47.

The operation of this device is as follows: It will be presumed in describing the operation of this device that a pressure of water exists in theinlet 2 of suficient strength to pass throughout the pipe system in the building, and this pressure of water is held in check by the valve 5 and is thus prevented from entering the main body portion of the valve. The parts above the valve 5 are in the position shown in the drawing, and it is further presumed that a high pressure of air exists in the sprinkler system, which is here represented by the chamber 36, pipe 40, and sprinklerhead 41. If for any reason the opening of one or more sprinkler-heads in the pipe sys- The upper I tem occurs, the pressure onthe valve 31 is released, permitting its ready upward movement. The release of the pressure von the valve 31 relieves the horizontal arm of the bell-,crank 12 from downward pressure. The weight 45, which is attached to the leg of the bell-crank 12 by a chain, now rotates the leg to the right, which permits the crossbar 15 to slip from engagement with the lower leg of the bell-crank. This is aided by the fact that when the upright pin 22 is placed in the cup-shaped recess'in the inclined portion 21 of the bar 18 it is screwed down with considerable pressure by means of the bolt 24, and as this pin 22 encounters the lever 18 considerably to one side of its center it has a constant tendency to throw the upper end 19 to the right, and this, in connection with' the weight, allows it to swing in thatdirection .until it has released its pressure on the valve y5, which-instantly flies open, due to the pressure of water, which thenflows through the body 10 and the valve 31, passes through the sprinkler-pipes to the sprinkler-head, and from thence is distributed in a spray. Simultaneously with the movement to the right of the link 16 the weight 45 drops and its conicall head 46 closes the opening 47 against the escape of water. It frequently happens in placing these valves that they generally arein'the basements of buildings, and water will condense and collect in their interior, which has been found to be` highly objectionable, and this is obviated by the opening 47, which is normally open, thereby permitting the ready escape of any accumulation of Huid.

HavingV thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. The combinationl in a device ofthe class described provided with an inlet and an outlet, said inlet connecting with a water-suppl y under pressure, said outlet connecting with a pipe system under atmospheric pressure, valves to close both openings, a hanging pin from said outlet-valve the lower end of which is adapted to encounter one leg of abellcrank, a bell-crank suitably mounted vin said `valvecasing, a slotted link to engage the other leg of said bell-crank, a bent lever to engage the opposite end of said slotted link, the opposite end of said bent lever arranged to bear against said inlet-valve, a pin to engage the central portion of said bent lever-and force said bent lever Vagainst said inlet-valve and retain it there during the existence of air-pressure in said pipe system.

y 2. Automatic valve mechanism for sprinkler systems comprising avalve-casing having communication with a-water-supply and with a sprinkler system, an inlet-valve within vthe casing for governing said supply, avalve governing the communication with the system, swinging mechanism mountedin said casing, mechanism to connect said swinging mechan- IOO ism with said ou tlet-valve, a bar provided with an offset portion arranged to bear against said inlet-valve at one end, mechanism to connect the other end of said bar with saidswinging mechanism, a rod or its equivalent arranged to bear on said offset portion at one end and against lon gitudinally-extensible means in said casing at the other end.

3. The combination of a casing having a water-inlet and a` water-outlet, a valve governing said inlet, a valve governing said outlet, mechanism involving a pin depending from said outlet-valve, a bell-crank held in place by said pin, a link bearing against one leg of said bell-crank, a bent lever held by thc opposite end of said link arranged to bear on the inlet-valve, an adjustable pin to bear against said bent lever and force it against said inlet-valve, all arranged to be released by a removal of pressure on said outlet-valve.

4L. In adevice of the class described the combination of a casing having a waterway, a valve for controlling the inlet to the waterway, a valve for controlling the outlet from said waterway to the system, a bar provided with an offset arranged to connect with said inletvalve at one end, mechanism to connect the opposite end of said bar with said outlet-valve y and a pin arranged to engage the offset poranism to bear against said inlet-valve, a link to connect said last-named mechanism and said swinging mechanism, mechanism to apply pressure to the mechanism bearing on said inlet-valve and a Weight suitably connected with said swinging mechanism to assist the openingof said last-named valve, said weight being provided with means for closing an opening in said valve-casing upon a release of pressure in the sprinkler system.

6. In a device or' the class described the combination of acasinghavinga waterway, avalve for controlling the inlet to the waterway, a valve for controlling the outlet from said Waterway to the system, mechanism connecting said valves capable of permitting the substantially simultaneous opening of both, a-

Weight connecting with said mechanism arranged to close a normally open opening in said valve-casing.

7. In a device of the class described the combination of a casinghavinga Waterway, a valve for controlling the inlet to the waterway, a valve for controlling the outlet from the waterway to th-e system, a third opening in said casing provided with a weighted gravityvalve, mechanism connecting said inlet and outlet valves capable of releasing the pressure on said inlet-valve substantially simultaneously with the release of pressure in the system, means connecting said mechanism with said weighted gravity-valve capable of closing the said third opening simultaneously with the opening of said inlet-valve.

In testimony that I claim the above I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MONROE SHIVELY. In presence of- C. E. HUMYHREY, MAUDE ZwisLnR. 

